How to: Create a BIG-IP Next instance on an rSeries system from Central Manager

Overview

You can easily create a BIG-IP Next VE instance on an rSeries appliance from BIG-IP Next Central Manager using an rSeries template.

Prerequisites

Before you create an instance from BIG-IP Next Central Manager, you must:

• Have an active MyF5 account for licensing and provisioning this BIG-IP Next instance, or access to a JSON License Web Token (LWT).

• Download the rSeries F5OS-A file.

• Have Postman.

• Complete the initial configuration of an rSeries system.

• Connect a console or terminal server to the console port of the rSeries appliance.

• Run the Setup wizard to enable DHCP, and configure DNS and NTP.
  -OR-

• Configure static IP addresses (does not enable DHCP): F5 rSeries Planning Guide > Initial Setup of rSeries F5OS Platform Layer > IP Address Assignment & Routing.

• Only if you did not run the Setup wizard to configure DNS, NTP, and external logging, use the CLI, webUI, or API to Configure system settings.

• Log in to the system webUI.

• License the system automatically.

• Create required VLANs from the webUI.

• Complete Initial Setup of the rSeries Network Layer.

Procedure

1. Log in to BIG-IP Next Central Manager as admin, click the Workspace icon next to the F5 icon, and click Infrastructure.

2. If you have not added any BIG-IP Next instances previously, click the + Start Adding Instances button.

3. Click the Create a New Instance button. Review the requirements.

4. Enter a hostname and an optional description to identify this instance.

5. From the Instance Template list, select the rSeries Standalone template.

6. Click the Start Creating button.

7. Click the Add button.

8. Enter a name to identify this rSeries provider, specify its hostname, and its port and then click the Connect button.

9. Enter the username and password for this provider and click the Submit button.

10. Click the Done button then click the Next button.

11. In rSeries Properties, enter the below details:

    1. Specify the Disk Size, this should be greater than or equal to 22.

    2. Specify the CPU Cores.

    3. Select the Tenant Image Name and Tenant Deployment File from the dropdown. The tenant image and deployment file are pre-configured in the rSeries Partition.

    4. Select the VLAN IDs from the dropdown.

12. Click Next.

13. In BIG-IP Next Instance Properties, provide the Management IP Address, Management Network Prefix Width, and the Gateway IP Address for the instance and click the Next button.

14. Click Networking, to configure the L1 Networks, VLANs and IP Addresses.

    1. Click L1 Networks

       • By default, one L1 Network is pre-configured in server settings with the Interface Name set as 1.1. You can modify the L1 Network Name and Interface Name, if required.

       • Click + Create, to create one or more L1 Networks, if required.

    2. Click VLANs

       • The VLANs are pre-configured from the rSeries Partition.

       • Choose the L1 Network from the dropdown.

    3. Click IP Addresses to configure IP Addresses then click + Create.

       • In Address, specify the IP address.

       • In Device Name, no need to specify the name.

       • Choose the VLAN from the dropdown.

15. Specify the network settings and click the Next button.

16. Provide the username and password for administration for this BIG-IP Next instance, confirm the password, and click Next.

17. Review the summary of the configuration you created and if you’re ready to create this BIG-IP Next instance, click the Deploy button. Deployment can take up to 15 minutes.

Result

You can now manage this BIG-IP Next instance from BIG-IP Next Central Manager.